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Portrait of the artist as a young fool….

Fat sausages sizzled on the grill, while loud rock played from a boom box in the corner. Pots clanged, dishes rattled, and voices raised above the din, crying out needs and curses above the frightful din, “Pick up #12!”, “Where’s my fish?” “Fool! I said sauté in HAZELNUT butter!” Nobody paid the slightest attention to the small boy, furtively sneaking around the edges of the babbling crowd, keeping to the wall as he made his way to the back door, leading into the alleyway. The boy kept his head down, silently wending his way between the fast-moving bodies like a small elephant calf among the forest of the adults’ massive legs…..

Okay, that’s plenty…. We’ll leave the boy to his business, and get on with this nonsense now…. Not that I have a single idea of how to get started…. The fictional opening wasn’t bad, but, it doesn’t seem to have landed me anywhere useful, in terms of where to go next. I suppose I COULD stop a moment, and actually THINK about it, but, what fun would that be? I need to type as fast as I can, anyway, before my fingers turn to painful lumps on the end of my arms, good for bludgeoning flies and beating myself on the forehead, and, that’s about it…. But, then, nobody cares, do they? Results are all that counts in this society, dag nab it…

Don’t worry, I’m not going to bust out into a rant this morning; I’m far to awake for that. I may, however, slip over into sheer nonsense at times, as I’m not sure just how to deal with this energy. It’s been a long while since I woke up after this many days of relatively good sleep; I’m not sure what to do with it, having gone so long without. Of course, the sleep was broken, as usual, by numerous nighttime trips up to the head, or to sit & tremble while my body adjusts to the lowering of the Norco for a while…. That’s all fairly normal, and part of getting old, I suppose; sleeping in full comfort is a thing of the past…. But, it’ll do, as it must….

Wow…. lookie there! It’s an exit! It’s been month since I saw one of the actual street signs; we generally come at them too fast to pick up on that. But, it’s a real one, with the serial number right there in plain sight (what does the number 666 mean?….). Any who, we’re going to use it, since we’re here, and have the chance. It isn’t often we make a fully legal entrance; it’s a good thing officer Willie doesn’t come by more often, or we’d be in court more than we’d like. For now, I’d suggest you put down your beverages, and hold on; we’re going in, and going in hard….

Shall we Pearl?

“Evil habits soil a fine dress more than mud; good manners, by their deeds, easily set off a lowly garb.” — Plautus

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I yam what I yam, an’ that’s all what I yam…. I’m Popeye the Sailor Man!….

“Ignorance plays the chief part among men, and the multitude of words;”

~~ Diogenes Laertius (c. 200 AD) ~~

~~ Cleobulus, iv ~~

From 4/13/2013:

“Custom does often reason overrule and only serves for reason to the fool.” — John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester

This aphorism is one I think most people would accept as true, at least part of the time. It also points up what I see as a basic flaw in human nature, a characteristic that everyone possesses, and few overmaster. It has to do with our core beliefs, and the attitude we assume as our method of perception, the orientation of our world-view, as it were. We all perceive what is out there in the universe, but we are not capable, at this time, of understanding, or even noting, all that is there to be perceived, as we are limited to what we can see, hear, feel, touch, taste, or deduce, in our immediate vicinity…. We don’t yet know how to include the input of anything not in our physical presence, other than vicariously (via TV, radio, books, etc…..).

We do, however perceive what we are near, and what we do with those perceptions is what determines how the events of our lives will proceed. What is more, each one of us perceives all of this IN A DIFFERENT WAY….. Two people can look at the same article, or event, and see two entirely different things; just ask them….. We use the same senses, the same KIND of brains to process the data, at the same time to observe the same event, yet the interpretation of those events will vary, by as many degrees as there are people perceiving them. This unique ability, to process data in a completely new and different way from anyone else’s method, is, as might be guessed, both a blessing, and a curse….. It is the latter which concerns me today…..

In order to coexist in the same place and time, people have learned to accept certain perceptions as being identical, for the purposes of communication, e.g., everyone knows what “fire” is, and knows not to touch it barehanded…. (Note: in a way, this blog is all about the process of such communications…. We explore the reality that is consensual, the one we all agree to deal with as being the same for all of us…..) This is the blessing it gives, the opportunity to increase understanding, to allow people to work in tandem, making both much more capable, making two more than just one plus one….. This is a very useful tool in the real world, and has helped our species achieve the degree of civilization we now enjoy….

The other side of this characteristic has an equal part in our destiny, and, may be, in point of fact, the more important of the two, in the ultimate sense….. You see, we are all herd animals, and desire the approval and company of our peers; without it, we suffer, much more than we even know. It is not “human” to remain alone too long…. Oh, there is nothing wrong with solitude, and much great thought is achieved when one is not distracted by others….. On the other hand, a human who is alone for too long becomes a pale imitation of his/her true self, without the presence of other minds to test his/her theories, to discuss and share their feelings and accomplishments, to vent their frustrations, to experience love….. Without these things, our spirits become small, and lose their moral compass, leaving us adrift in a reality that seems dark, and dangerous….

This dependence on custom (which I define as the total construct of human society, the set of rules and regulations, all unwritten, by which all of us shape our behavior in respect to each other…..) is so strong that, as the aphorism states, one becomes willing to set reason aside, in order to keep and maintain our feeling of having a place in society. We will assume whatever mask that society demands, at times, in order to not have to wear a mask of our own devising, one that we do not find comfortable…. This is the curse of which I spoke….

‘Tis an unfortunate fact there are a number of people who have no compunctions whatsoever in using this human characteristic to their own ends….. They don’t believe in any of the crap they spew, but will say or do anything to make sure that others do, because this is how they control the general populace… They spread their lies, fast and often, until they are believed…. these lies promulgate fear amongst the uneducated and timid, who then demand that “something be done!” by those in charge…. which is exactly what those people wanted, for they can now proceed to further fan the flames of fear, while surreptitiously looting the public treasury to make it seem as if they are doing something constructive…. “Hey, they’re stealing our oil! Let’s spend a few billion to bomb the crap out of them so we can keep driving SUV’s, with great cup holders!”

Oh well, I guess that’s all the rant I’ve got in me today…. It’s kind of mild I know, but I was trying to be scholarly, rather than controversial and accusatory…. I think I’ve succeeded in that, but, it doesn’t quite give the same thrill and/or release as a good, nasty rant, with some great name-calling… Well, I can always call them assholes, because, hey, it fits, and it’s easy to type…. Any who, I’ll stop now, right on the edge of illumination, and allow the Gentle Reader to follow the train of my thought to its obvious conclusion…. For those too busy, or too lazy to do so, I’ll summarize….

Don’t listen to what anyone else says, not about YOUR perceptions. And, for sure, kick the asses of anyone who tries to convince you of their integrity in an elected capacity, or any position of authority…. A lot of people, on every level of society, are just trying to control you for their own purposes, and deserve any ass-kicking that comes their way…. Be like a cat…. cats don’t give a SHIT what anybody thinks, they just are….. No apologies, no fuss, just leave me alone, because I’m busy being a cat….. This is good advice, so, listen up, I’m trying to do you a favor….. 😆

“We need very strong ears to hear ourselves judged frankly, and because there are few who can endure frank criticism without being stung by it, those who venture to criticize us perform a remarkable act of friendship, for to undertake to wound or offend a man for his own good is to have a healthy love for him.” — Michel Eyquem de Montaigne _Essays_, bk. III, ch. 11 [1595]

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A little change of pace from our usual reliance on my meager skills at poetry…. Enjoy, ffolkes, nonsense doesn’t get any better than this….

`Just the place for a Snark!’ the Bellman cried,As he landed his crew with care;Supporting each man on the top of the tide By a finger entwined in his hair.

‘Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:That alone should encourage the crew.Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:What I tell you three times is true.’

“Two babies were born on the same day at the same hospital. They lay there and looked at each other. Their families came and took them away. Eighty years later, by a bizarre coincidence, they lay in the same hospital, on their deathbeds, next to each other. One of them looked at the other and said, “So. What did you think?” — Steven Wright

A monk said to Joshu, “I have just entered this monastery. Please teach me.” “Have you eaten your breakfast?” Joshu asked. “Yes, I have,” replied the student. “Then you had better wash your bowl.”

~~ Smart Buddhist Bee ~~

“TAPPING? You POLITICIANS! Don’t you realize that the END of the “Wash Cycle” is a TREASURED MOMENT for most people?!” — Zippy the Pinhead

“I’ll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!” — Wicked Witch of the East

“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” — Pooh’s Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

There, that should do it…. I’ve made this as clear as mud, obviously…. Don’t worry, though, it won’t be on the test…. In fact, it won’t even count toward graduation, not that we care about stuff like that…. But, it does make a good point, yes? Nod your head…..

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I find little needs to be said at this point; it’s all fairly well covered above. If not, we’ll have to try again tomorrow, because I am NOT starting over. In fact, I’m outta here…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes….

Y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you;Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richyand everyone else, too…

When I works, I works hard.When I sits, I sits loose.When I thinks, I falls asleep.

2 thoughts on “Portrait of the artist as a young fool….”

As noted in the intro, I have far too much energy…. too much to bust into a rant, but, not so much as to avoid typos…. obviously, as I wrote it, “I’m far to awake…” rather than the correct “too awake”…. SIGH…. Even when I’m on a roll, my nose gets in the way, big and red as it is….